Heretofore, detection devices have sensed the magnitude and polarity of electric field changes associated with lightning discharges. Previous devices have been unreliable because the polarity of electric field change is dependent upon the location of the detector as well as the type of lightning discharge. This problem can be partially overcome by the use of a large number of sensors dispensed over a large area. The use of multiple sensors is, however, expensive and requires an extensive communications and analysis system.